Do you need to run an untrusted program on your Windows 10 PC? Need to install and try a program without affecting the installation? Want to know how to safely run an untrusted application on a PC running Windows 10? In this guide, we will see how to safely run an untrusted program in Windows 10 without affecting the operating system and your data.
Windows 10 version 1903 and later versions include a feature called Windows Sandbox which allows you to run programs in isolation. In simple words, the Windows Sandbox feature acts as a virtualization software such as the VirtualBox and enables you to run applications without affecting the host.
NOTE: Windows Sandbox feature isn’t currently available in the Home edition. However, there is a workaround out there to enable the Windows Sandbox feature in the Home edition as well. Please search the web for the same to enable the useful feature on the Home edition as well.
When you close the Sandbox window, Windows 10 will automatically delete the installed program and reset the Sandbox to the default settings. So, if you made any changes to the Windows 10 (inside the Sandbox), it will not be saved.
Besides that, any changes that you make the Windows Sandbox won’t affect the Windows 10 (host) installed on your PC and your data. So, it’s absolutely safe to run unsafe programs in the Sandbox as a program running inside the Sandbox cannot affect your host.
Run untrusted programs in Windows Sandbox
To run an unsafe or untrusted program in Windows Sandbox, please follow the given below directions.
Step 1: First of all, enable the Windows Sandbox feature as the feature is disabled by default. To do that, type Appwiz.cpl in the taskbar search field and then hit the Enter key.
Step 2: Click the Turn Windows features on or off link present in the left pane to open Windows Features dialog.
Step 3: Look for Windows Sandbox option and then select the same. Click the OK button. If asked to reboot, restart your PC.
Step 4: Launch the Windows Sandbox by typing the same in the taskbar search field and then hitting the Enter key. The Windows Sandbox window loads in a few seconds.
Step 5: Copy and paste the untrusted application installer that you want to try to the Sandbox window and run the same.
Once you are done with the application, close the Sandbox window. Windows 10 will delete the installed program and reset the Sandbox environment to the default.
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